LIVERPOOL returned home from the National Leagues' Championships in Loughborough, having turned in a tremendous gold medal winning performance in the finals of the J.M. Rose Bowl.

Facing them in the round robin final were Hastings, who won all three penultimate group matches, but a last set Sylvia Graham victory sealed a thrilling 5-4 success.

Nottingham, who beat Liverpool to finish as group winners in the semis, couldn't repeat the feat, Alice Howard, Sylvia and Cherith Graham reversing the result to win 5-3.

This set up a last match clash with North Hertfordshire, 5-4 victors over Liverpool in last season's finals.

They were seen off by five sets to three as Liverpool claimed the famous trophy for the second time in four years, having twice finished as runners-up.

Wavertree Labour have won the Liverpool League division for the 12th time. Gary Watson, Aaron Beech and Alice Howard, chalked up 21 victories from 26 outings to take the title by 20 points from runners-up Liverpool Cricket Club.

Maghull and Liverpool CC B face the drop to division two, with Cadwa A, champions of division two and runners-up Marconi, replacing them.

Wavertree Labour A, the only unbeaten team in the League, failed to win only once and finished as division three champions, 13 points in front of second placed Maghull A.

At the recent World Veteran championships in Bremen, Liverpool League players Ted Birch and Alan Chase were beaten in the over 60's doubles competition at the first hurdle.

They lost 14-12 in the fifth in their second match, after having won their first encounter.

The Waterloo pair entered the consolation event and became the first pair from the city to reach a world champion-ships final.

But that was where it all ended, for after ousting the Swiss pair of Im-hoff and Aidor in the semi's, Poland's Dulkowski and Gorecki beat the locals 11-6, 12-10, 11-9 to take the title..